Air-supply heater for carbureters.



w. 0. COLVIN 1 0. D. BARTHOLOMEW.

AIR S UPPLY HEATER FOR CARBUBETERS. APPLICATION FILED MAN. 14-. 1918.

1,281,139. Patented 001811918.

UNITED STATES lizlENT OFFICE;

WERT D. COLVIN AND'GHARLES D. BARTHOLOMEW, OF BEARDSTOWN, ILLINOIS.

AIR-SUPPLY HEATER FOB CARBURETERS.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, Wear D. Convm and CHARLES D. BARTHOLOMEW, citizens of the United States, residing at Beardstown, in

the county of Cass and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Imrovements in Air-Supply Heaters for Carureters, of which the following is a spec1fication.

; provide a device of the above described character which will heat the supply of air delivered to the carbureter to such degree that, by a corresponding increase inthe easy vaporization of the liquid fuel, a material resultant saving in the quantity of liquid fuel consumed will be effected.

The invention has as a still further object in this connection, to provide a device making it easilypossible to start an engine in cold weather. a

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above described a character employing an electric heating element which 'may be included in' circuit with a storage battery or other suitable source of electrical energy upon the vehicle and wherein-such circuit may be controlled by a manually operable switch so thatwhen it is desired to render the device inactive, such re-' sult may be easily accomplished by operating the switch. x v

7 And a still further object of the invention is to provide" T a construction wherein the heatingelement will be protected from di rect current'sof air by a suitable baflle plate but wherein the said plate will be so formed that air cur'rents will be caused to eddy arou'ndthe heating element so that all of the air passing'through the device will be effectually heated;

Other and incidental objects will appear as the description proceeds, and in the draw Q-i'ngs wherein e'have illustrated the pre' Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 14, 1918. Serial No. 222,425.

ferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several vi ews;.

Figure '1 is a fragmentary side elevation showing our improved air heater applied to alconventional type of carbureter, a portion of the carburetor being broken away to show the manner in which the improved device. which is illustrated in section, is connected with the carbureter.

Fig, 2' is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 22' of Fig. 1, and looking in the direction of the arrows', this view clearly illustrating the mounting of the heating element of the device.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken vhave, in the drawings, illustrated the device in connection with a conveptional type of carburetor 10 having a main air inlet pas sage 11. At its upper end the body of the carburetor is adapted for attachment to an intake manifold of an internal combustion engine, as shown at 11.

In carrying out the invention we employ a tubular casing of body 12 which is preferably formed of suitable sheet metal and is tapered from end to end. The smaller inner end of the body is, as particularly shown frictionally: engage in'Fig. 1, adapted th within the outer end of the inlet passage 11 r of the carbureter for thus detachably con-- necting the device with thecarbureter. This provides an arrangement whereby the heater may be readily mounted in position and in this connection-it should be noted-that the inner end of the casing is of such diameter that the said casing may in' the manner indicated, be readily engaged with substan tially any conventional type of carbureter now in common use. Fitted throughv the casing ad acent its inner extremity are oppositelydisposed radial terminals 13 and-'14 respectively. These terminals are'insulated with respect to the casing by suitable split thirnbles 15 of insulating material and ,at

their inner ends receive binding nuts -16. Fitted upon the terminals beneath these nuts are washers 17 which seat against the inner '20. The ends of this heating element are interposed between the nuts 16 and washers 17 in which position they are clamped by proper adjustment of the said nuts for establishing electrical connection between the ter minals and the heating element. 3

Associated with the heating element 2 I is a baflle 21 therefor, shown in detail in Fig. 4 of the drawings. This baflle is preferably constructed of a single piece of suitsaid thimbles.

able sheet metal and the body thereof is bent transversely to provide outwardlydiverging Wings 22. The baflle is of a length to extend diametrically ofthe casing 12 in front of the heating element and centering the ballie with respect to the said element as well as supporting the baflie in position, are laterally directed ears23. These ears are preferably integrally formed on the ends of the baflie body .and at their outer extremities are apertured to loosely receive the thimbles 15, as particularly shown in Fig. 1, and are thus secured to the casing by the terminals 13 andlaextending through the By this arrangement, the thimbles also act to insulate the b aflle with res ct to the said terminals.

ading from the storage battery or other suitable source of electrical energy upon the vehicle usin our improved device, is a wire 24 connect tothe terminal 13 and leadin .fromthe terminal 14 is a wire 25 whic may be grounded. Current will thus flow through the-heating element 20. However, it should be stated that a switch, located conveniently to the drivers-seat of the vehicle, is included in the. circuit with the heating element so that the flow-of current therethrough may be easily controlled. Such-switch may be-of any conventional yp'ei anjd has not been shown; However, it wi lbe clear that by properly operating the switch, the element'20 may, at anytime desired, be quickly heated by flow of-current therethrough and, as-will now be clear, currents ofa1r drawn through the casixi 12 intothemainhir inlet passage 11 0 the carbureter, will be heated from, the .said

.heating element before being. delivered to the carbureter. 'Vapor'ization offthe liquid fuel within the carbureter will accordingly be accelerated with a consequently enhanced efiicienc of the fuel niixture.- In this way material resultant saving in the quantityof liquid fuel consumed will not only be effected but, moreover, the efficient operation of the engine will be enhanced correspondingly. Furthermore,-since a constant su ply of heated air will be delivered to t e carbureter the engine may be readily started in cold 'weather. Y

Attention is now directed to the fact that since the battle 21 is arranged directly in front of the heating element, the diverging wings of the bafiiewill direct the currents of air flowing through the casing in oppo-i site directions against the sides of the easing away from the heating element so that suchinwardly flowin currents of air will be prevented from striking directly against the heating element to cause uneven contraction .thereof and its premature breakin However, it will be noted that the baflle is supported a considerable distance in front of the heating element, the outer edges of the wings of the baflle -terminating in a plane only tbuching the adjacent sides of the coils of the said element. Consequently, the currents of air directed against the opposite sides of the casing by the baflle wings 22 will be permitted to. eddy back within the battle between the said wings and around the heating-element. A constant circular-- tion of air currentsaboutthe heating ele ment will thus be maintainedso that practically all of the air flowing through the cas. 'ing will be" uniformly heated prior to its delivery to the carbureter.'

It will therefore be seen that we provide aparticularly efii'cient construction for the purpose set forth and a device which, at the same time, is characterized by extreme simplicityto" thus make the operation and maintenance. ofthe devicev particularly economical.

Having thus eribed the invention, what is claimed as newisrf. I

1. A device of the characterdescribed ineluding a tubular casing, terminals carried thereby and insu'latedfwith respect to the casing, a heating element extending between the said terminals, and a battle mountedin front of the said element and 'providfll' with ears engaged with the; saidjjterminasfjor j supportm theisaid baflle'in'position,the said ears eingin sulated with respectgto the said terminals.

2. A- device of the attracts; estate includinga tubular casing, a heating element mountedtherein and a bafll'e supported in spaced relation-in front of the heatingxele ment and havinga body provided with out within the casing and having diverging walls formingan eddy pocket t erebetween at one side of said element.

. 4. A device of the character described including a tubular casin 1 a heating element supgorted therein, an a baffie mounted wit in the casing at one side of said element and having spaced walls forming an eddy pocket therebetween open to the said element.

5. A device of the character described including a tubular casing, a heating element arranged therein, and a bailie mounted in front of said element and having outwardly diverging walls extending laterally with respect to the said element.

6. A device of the character described in cluding a tubular casing, terminals carried thereby and insulated with respect to the casing, a heating element supported by said terminals within the casin and a beflie mounted in front of said e ement and secured by the said terminals, the baflie being insulated with respect to the terminals;

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

wear 1). 00mm. [1.. a] CHARLES D. BARTHOLOMEW. [L- 5.] 

